Deposition of Thomas Le Strange

fol. 231v

And this deponent further saith in addition to his former examination vpon oath That about January 1642 Divers rebells (as this deponent hath bin credibly informed) came to the Church of Tesaran in the Kings County & there digged vpp the floure and dead bodies of in the that Chur ch & there with the dead Corpses of divers protestants & amongst the rest the carkesses of Mr Richard Loftus & his wiffe which they layd naked vpon a hedg where they were left exposed to publique view and to be devowred of doggs, swyne or any thing els that would fasten on them And further saith that in August last 1643 Sir Charles Coote knight and Barronet sent a man messinger from Dublin to goe to Castle coote being then in distresse & comeing to Athlone that messinger was there taken by <f> Liuetenant Dillon and Tibbott Magawley ancient to Sir James Dillon knighte Wherevpon Sir Robert Newcomen and Captain Richard Stgeorg thene gouernor of the Castle then in the Kings hands there & thother Captain of a Company of his Maiesties souldjers desired that the messinger might be set at liberty becawse as they heard he had some letters to them: but they answered he should be first carried to Sir James Dillon: and carried him thither accordingly And then and there burnd his fingers with a light match to the bones to make him confesse that which he knew not But getting nothing out of him that satisfied them: hee was then by direccion and warrant of the said Sir James Dillon carried to Ballamore a market towne & then and there (as this deponent hath bin credibly told by many credible persons) the poore messinger aforesaid was publiquely, and before a great assembly hanged to death:
And
4) 1194

fol. 232r

And this deponent further saith That he hath bin credibly <G> informed by one John Howson and his wiffe 2 honest English protestants) That one Leigh late of Kesnebrasney in the Kinges <T> County or & his wiffe & one Thomas Wright & his wiffe that lived nere the Birr in the C om Kings County all <1641> English protestants about before Christmas 1641 or before fled from their habitacion with divers of their goodes to kilcolgan the howse of Mr Terrence Coghlan (whose tennant the said Leigh had formerly bin) presumeing the said Terrence would protect and shelter them from danger as he promissed to doe. Neverthes within some tyme after some of the servants of the said Terrence there murthered the said Leigh & Wright & their wyves stripped them of their clothes which they afterwards wore publiquely in the said Coghlans howse And that then the said Terrence Coghlans wiffe tooke, received, & hadd the howsholdstuffe lynnen and other goods belonging to those murthered people. And althoughe the said Leigh writ formerly to him this deponent that he would come to him if he possibly could & that he had betweene 80 & 100 li. in money. And therefore is confident that soe much money he brought vnto Kilcolgan aforesaid & had it taken from him when he was soe murthered, yet whoe tooke the same he this deponent neither knoweth nor hath bin tould: But the said howson and his wiffe confidently averred the rest vnto him the deponent & thincketh they were neare by when the other parties were < [x ] > murthered, And further saith that Samuell Porter by name (an English protestant about 18 yeres of age) about August 1642 comeing & being sent on a Message from the Lord President of Connaght, towards the deponent) was at or nere Mostian in the Kings
5) 1195

fol. 232v

County aforesaid mett with and seazed on by the souldjers of the said John McGarrett Coghlan of Streamstowne & was quickly after by <H> the said John McGarrett Coghlans direccion hanged to death att kilnegawny in the Barrony of Garrecashell, about a myle from the place where he was taken.
Tho: Lestrange
Jur vt supra 12o Jan 1643 coram
Hen: Jones
Hen: Brereton

K. County o
Thomas Le Strang Jur vij o ffebr 1643: 12o Jan:
Intr Ex
B O
8 no

+

1196